It Takes About Two Weeks Before A Person With Wuhan Coronavirus Shows Symptoms

During a press briefing on Sunday, January 26, 2020, Ma Xiaowei, Minister of China’s National Health Commission, said that the Wuhan coronavirus can be spread by an infected person before he or she starts to show symptoms, Reuters reports.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the symptoms of the Wuhan coronavirus — which can include fever, cough, and shortness of breath — can manifest in as few as two days and as many as 14 days after a person is exposed to it. This is based on the incubation period for the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) virus.

Ma added that there is still limited information on the virus and health authorities in China are still unsure as to the risks posed by mutations of the virus. Authorities also said that despite the government’s efforts, the virus is yet to be controlled.

To contain the outbreak, the Chinese government has ordered people living in cities near the site of the outbreak to avoid moving to other areas, especially during the Lunar New Year celebration when citizens typically travel to visit relatives or take vacations.

Bloomberg also reports that China has “made strides in monitoring and detecting infectious diseases since SARS” by banning wildlife trade across the country. Still, these markets remain a central part of life in multiple Asian cities, even though they can offer conditions that can facilitate the spread of deadly diseases. The government has also put 15 Chinese cities on full or partial lockdowns.

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The Wuhan coronavirus has been confirmed to infect more than 2,700 people worldwide, with a majority of the cases found in China. The death toll in China has reached 80, The Guardian reports.

According to CNN, as of Sunday, January 26, Beijing has confirmed 68 cases of the Wuhan coronavirus, including a nine-month-old baby girl. At press time, there is now a total of 2,761 cases recorded by the National Health Commission across China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macao, according to The Guardian.

On January 26, the CDC also confirmed the five cases of the Wuhan coronavirus in the United States — one new case in Arizona and two in California, in addition to the cases previously recorded in Illinois and Washington state. All five individuals had recently traveled to Wuhan.

The virus has also been recorded in countries and territories such as Macao, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, and Canada.

The Guardian reports that countries such as Japan, France, and Australia are working to bring home their citizens that are currently in Wuhan but are unable to travel due to the travel restrictions being implemented there. Hong Kong has also banned residents of Hubei province (whose capital is Wuhan) and anyone who had visited Hubei in the last 14 days from entering it.

In the Philippines, there have been no confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus, according to the Department of Health (DOH). However, Philstar reported on Saturday, January 25, that a 36-year-old man from Tacloban City is being investigated to see for the Wuhan coronavirus.

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This man had previously worked in Wuhan and returned to Tacloban on January 17. He is considered the second suspected case of the Wuhan coronavirus in the Philippines, after the Chinese boy in Cebu.

The boy tested negative for “non-specific pancoronavirus assay,” which means he is infected with a certain type of coronavirus, says the DOH. The agency is currently waiting for the results of the boy’s samples, which were sent to Australia to determine what specific strain of coronavirus he has.

Meanwhile, ABS-CBN News reported on January 25 that a Brazilian family that had recently traveled to Wuhan has been placed in the isolation room of a hospital in Puerto Princesa, Palawan after exhibiting flu-like symptoms.

While the parents did not have a fever, their child was confined after showing symptoms of respiratory illness, like fever and difficulty breathing. The child will undergo a swab test, after which his samples will be sent to Muntinlupa City for testing. The family will remain in the hospital until the results are released.

A six-year-old Taiwanese girl who was said to have been in contact with a Wuhan resident was recently taken to the Ospital ng Palawan after showing respiratory symptoms. She is also being checked by doctors.

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